In which we get a glimpse of another set re-released after 10 years and have a quick review of some of the recent steps the LEGO Group are taking towards a sustainable future.

Ten years ago, LEGO® set 4999 was released. A limited release set produced for Vestas®, a company which produces a significant number of wind turbines around the world, this set was never made available to the general public. Measuring over two feet high, it does have significant gravitas as a display piece.

Today, at the New York Climate Week, the LEGO Group has announced the re-release of this set, as 10268 Vestas Wind Turbine. This time, the set will be available to the general public, from Black Friday (November 23). With 826 elements, the count is a little higher than the 803 listed for the older set in the database maintained by Brickset. In Australia, it will cost $AUD329. A full international price list is listed at the bottom of this post.

The Vestas Wind Turbine also includes a Power Functions Battery box, M motor, with a long extension cable, to get the turbine spinning, as well as lights.

Consisting of the wind turbine sitting on a small hill, with a house, service van and three minifigures, this set maintains many of the characteristics of the original. Most of the elements in that set were readily available, except for one. A green ‘Large ugly rock piece.’ While these could easily be substituted for one in grey, the green one has gone back into production for this set. The trees in this set are some of the first ‘Plants from Plants’ available for purchase in LEGO sets. Earlier in the year, a promotional set was available, as a gift with purchase, in some markets.

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The LEGO Group today announced that the production of sustainable LEGO® elements, from plant based plastics, has begun. Sourced from sugarcane, these elements include leaves, trees and bushes.

In 2015, the company began investing 1 Billion DKK in its source for sustainable materials and packaging, including a search for appropriate plastics that were sourced from non-oil based sources.

The first of the sustainable elements are made from polyethylene. This soft and durable plastic, based on sugarcane, has the same characteristics as the conventional plastics. Indeed these elements have been made of polyethylene, from non sustainable sources, for years and currently account for 1-2% of the total number of plastic elements produced by the LEGO Group. Continue reading →